A Chance at Happiness
by AngelxofxAlchemy
Summary: Ed and Al are finally home and their bodies are returned. Will Ed finally put his tortured past behind him and open his heart? Post Manga, please R and R!
1. Home At Last

The sun leaked into the room as the early hours of the morning crept up on the young mechanic. Her eyelids fluttered open and were met with the soft yellow glow of another day.

Sitting up, she worked her fingers through her tangled hair. She breathed deeply and noticed how dry the room had become through the night, so she made a mental note to leave her window cracked a bit from now on to prevent it from happening again. Her back popped as she stretched and swung her feet over the bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Winry!" her grandmother called up the stairs, "breakfast!" Winry stood slowly, trying to wake up.

"Alright," she called back, "I'll be right down." She had gotten up early for the last 3 weeks, since more and more customers had been coming in from Rush Valley to Risembool. She cursed her own craftsmanship sometimes.

Instead of getting dressed, she just stayed in her loose black shorts and white top, not expecting anyone for another couple of hours. The floorboards creaked as she walked across her room and opened her door, making her way down to breakfast.

Sitting on the kitchen table was a small stack of pancakes, a few sausage links, and a glass of orange juice. Winry smiled at Pinako as she sat down.

"Thanks Granny," she told her sleepily, beginning to eat the delicious meal. Pinako smiled in return and nodded, beginning to eat her own food as well. The time at the table was quiet, mainly from how tired Winry was from the previous all nighters that she had been pulling off for the past month. If she didn't know better, she would say that she was getting sick of automail.

After they were done eating, Winry took the dishes to the sink and began to wash them. She figured it was the least she could do since her Grandma had cooked breakfast.

"Winry, would you mind doing me a favor today?" asked Pinako, taking a drag from her pipe. Winry turned to face her, shutting the sink off and drying her hands.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, finally having a bit of energy thanks to the food.

"I ordered some spare parts, and they're at the shop in town ready to be picked up. Would you mind doing that for me?"

Winry smiled and nodded. "No problem, Granny," she replied enthusiastically. This would be the first time in a while that she had gotten out of the house and seen a human being that wasn't another customer. "When should I leave?"

"In a few minutes is fine, after you get dressed and all that." With that, the elderly woman made her way to the couch to take a small nap. All of the customers lately had taken a toll on her as well. Winry made her way upstairs to do as her Grandmother had asked.

Once she had gotten her black skirt and cream colored top on, she went to brush her hair. As she looked in the mirror, she softly touched her hands to her ears. She still didn't have her ear rings back. Ever since that day at Briggs, she had gone without them, waiting for Ed to come back and give them to her again. It was like a hidden promise that assured her that he would stay alive. After the incident that had occurred with the solar eclipse, she was eager to see him home safe. She was almost afraid that he wouldn't be back.

She shook her head clear of those thoughts, assuring herself that he was fine. He had to be, he was Ed. So, she finished getting ready and slipped her boots on, deciding against the black jacket that went with the outfit, since it was incredibly warm outside. Checking her appearance one last time, she made her way down the stairs.

"See you soon, Granny," she called softly, in case she was sleeping. The snore that came from the living room confirmed it, so she left.

~*~

The town that day was bustling to say the least. Winry had to push her way through a few large crowds and sidestep merchants. Everywhere she went people seemed to be in a rush and gossiping. She found it rather odd, since even on the days of festivals, it was usually rather quiet. She paid no heed to it until, in the midst of a conversation between a couple of elderly women, she heard something about an overthrow of the Fuhrer. She stopped in her tracks and almost asked the women what they were talking about, but before she could get the chance, they had vanished in the crowed as well. She tried to forget about it, but that little bit of gossip really ate away at her. She hadn't seen or heard anything from Ed or anyone else that was involved with the coupe in so long. She expected Ed to return after she woke up in a daze, barely remembering why she had collapsed. When she realized that she hadn't been the only one that it had affected, she figured it must have been the Promised Day that Ed had been talking about.

Winry's curiosity got the best of her when she saw a newspaper stand. She bit her lip and gave into her need for knowledge and bought a paper, practically tearing it from the seller's hands. Her jaw dropped when she saw the headline.

**Fuhrer Overthrown: The Heroes of Amestris Responsible **

She was about to continue reading when there was a loud train whistle. She hadn't realized it, but she was standing right next to the station. Shortly after the eruption of noise from the train, the people of the town seemed to migrate to the doors would be opening. She wanted to know what all of the brouhaha was about, so she pushed her way through the crowed politely to get a better look.

After the doors opened, a few men in military uniform came out and attempted to get the crowd to calm down and back off to make room for the passengers getting ready to come out. Even over the noisy people around her, she could hear a couple of people yelling at each other that were still in the train.

"Damn it!" one of them yelled, "I told you that coming here so soon was a bad idea!" The voice was deep and authoritative. The other voice seemed just as angry, but a bit younger.

"Shut up! This is all your fault for letting them print that article!" Winry gasped after the short exchange of words before pushing herself the rest of the way through the people to get to the very front.

"I'm sorry miss," one of the officers stopped her from going any further, "you can't go past this point." Winry tried to push past them but was held back.

"But I think someone I know is on that train," she protested, still struggling.

"Yes, yes," the officer replied condescendingly, rolling his eyes, "we're all friends of the heroes of Amestris." Winry had never wanted to hit someone so bad.

"Fine," she mumbled, stepping back until the officers figured it was clear enough for the all so important people to step out.

She was halfway through the crowd and figured she could just wait until they cleared out to see who they were talking about, although she was extremely anxious to see now. She took a seat on a bench that sat next to a lamppost on the street and faced the mystery passengers.

"Alright, everybody back up," said a female voice, though she seemed even more intimidating than the other officers of the group. "No questions will be answered as of yet, so there's no point in asking." Apparently, that had been enough to get the crowd to disperse, since they all started to continue on their way, a bit disappointed.

Winry's eyes followed them until she heard a voice that could only belong to one person.

"Winry?" it questioned, sounding like it was a bit surprised. Winry snapped her eyes to meet the speaker's and her eyes grew wide. She stood up shakily, not being able to believe what she was seeing right in front of her.

Standing there, supporting a boy that seemed to be a good two inches taller than himself, was none other than Edward Elric.

It took her a few moments to register that the boy being supported was Alphonse, since she hadn't seen him in the flesh in years.

"Ed," she paused, looking to both of them, "Al." Before she could stop herself, she broke out into a sprint at them. Al moved to stand on his own so that both he and his brother could be ready for the embrace that would come in less that a few seconds.

What an embrace it was. She flung her arms around both of them, putting most of her weight on the elder Elric, since she knew that Al had to be somewhat weak still. They both returned it, a small smile gracing Ed's face and a sheepish grin that Al wore.

After a few moments of silence, she pulled away, her eyes misty and tears threatening to spill over. When a stray drop did, she smiled and laughed shakily, looking to Ed.

"I guess you kept your promise," she told him with another small laugh, wiping away more tears that had escaped. Ed nodded, his smile broadening and a blush creeping up on to his face.

"I guess I did," he replied, rubbing the back of his head before putting his right arm back down in front of her, rolling up the black sleeve that he wore to reveal what Winry hadn't seen occupy that arm in so long; flesh.

That was all she could handle. She broke out into more tears, throwing her arms around Ed and smiling, laughing through her tears of Joy and clinging to him for dear life. He wrapped his arms around her in response, for once not being stand offish and secluded when it came to his emotions. He could afford to express them now.

Lieutenant Hawkeye stood next to her superior, Colonel, or rather, soon to be Fuhrer, Mustang. "Touching, isn't it?" he mumbled to his subordinate, only half joking. In his heart, he knew that there was nothing more joyous than a soldier coming home to the person waiting for him, safe and sound.

Lieutenant Hawkeye nodded a small smile on her lips. "How are your eyes today, Sir?" she asked, though it was off subject. He turned to her and smiled.

"They get better every day, don't worry. How's your wound?" She had suffered in the battle as well, though he was relieved that she had pulled through.

"Its fine," she answered, touching her neck softly and feeling the slight rise in her skin from the stitches that she had received. Roy nodded in understanding before turning to face the officers that had joined them.

"You all can go back to central if you want; we have things under control here," he assured them. They gave him a crisp salute and boarded the train once more since it would be leaving in a few minutes.

When Roy turned back to the adolescents, they were conversing happily. Figuring that they could handle themselves, Roy motioned for him and Hawkeye to go and explore the town. She agreed and they were off.

Winry had so many questions about what had happened, and they were eager to answer since everything had worked out for the best. After a bit though, Winry realized what she had come into town to do in the first place.

"Shoot," she mumbled, biting her lip, "I have to pick up some spare parts for Granny, I almost forgot."

Al smiled, putting most of his weight on a cane that he had. "We can come with, I need the exercise anyway," he told her with a small laugh. Winry was glad to hear it, but turned to Ed for confirmation that it was alright. Townspeople might bug them if they went.

"Sure," he agreed, "a walk sounds nice." This was the most relaxed that Winry had ever seen Ed, but it just succeeded in making her happier. With an eager nod, she began to make her way to the shop, the brothers following behind.

As they went, Winry's worry was confirmed. Everywhere they went, people were eager to talk to the Elrics. They politely declined, saying that they were too tired to get into it just yet.

After they arrived at the shop and Winry picked up the parts, they were on their way back to her house. There were a few more parts in the box than she thought, and it began to get rather tedious to carry. Ed saw this and without saying anything took the box off her hands and carried it with little trouble.

"It's alright Ed, I can get it," she told him, reaching out her arms in an attempt to take the box back. He shook his head, pulling the box out of her reach slightly,

"No, its fine," he replied, "I have to work my right arm anyway, it's going to take a while to get it to look like the other one." He gave her a small smirk for good measure before turning his eyes back to the path in front of them. Winry's face turned a light shade of pink and she was glad that Ed had turned away so that he couldn't see.

Before they knew it, they were back at the familiar yellow house on the hill. Winry opened the door and walked in first. "Granny, I'm home! And I brought some guests," she called, eager to tell Pinako the great news.

"Really, who?" she asked, making her way to the front door. When she saw who was standing there, she nearly dropped her pipe on to the floor. "Well now," she said, regaining her composure and smiling, "it's about time you two!"

They all enjoyed a good laugh and Ed and Al bent to give the old woman a hug. She was glad to have them home; it would make her rest better at night.

Pinako told Ed to just drop the parts off in the basement workshop, seeing that he was carrying them. Al made his way to the couch in the living room with Pinako following to make sure he got there okay. Winry on the other hand followed after Ed, though he didn't know it at first.

Making his way down the stairs carefully, he pulled the string that turned the light on and set the parts down on the table that sat in the corner before cracking his back and turning, only to see Winry standing about a foot away from him. He jumped a bit since he hadn't heard her following, but smiled a second later.

"Hey, I didn't see you there," he told her, speaking his thoughts. She apologized softly for startling him, smiling a bit. They stood like that, looking at each other in a comfortable silence for what seemed like forever. Then, as if they had read each other's minds, they both moved in for an embrace, though Winry was a bit more adamant about it.

As they stood there in each others arms, Winry made a note that Ed was now taller than her. Come to think of it, he had been for a while; she had just been too stressed to notice it. She held her arms around his torso, her face turned to the side and leaning against his shoulder. One of his arms rested against the small of her back, the other near her shoulders. This had been the second time that they had held each other like this and he blushed slightly at how natural it seemed.

The minutes passed and neither of them said a word, just enjoying the moment they had. Winry could hear the soft beating of his heart from where her head rested and could feel him breathing. She had never been this close to him. She was the one to finally break the silence though.

"I can't believe you're back, I'm so happy," she told him, slightly tightening her grip as if she were afraid to let him slip away. Once again, tears began to form in her deep blue eyes, and she didn't make an effort to hold them back.

"Me either," he replied, his voice getting a bit shaky as well from the emotional moment. He wasn't used to showing this much affection and it gave him butterflies, though he would never admit it. In all of the years since his mother had died, Ed hadn't shed a single tear, afraid that he would become weak. However, standing there, in the arms of his mechanic, a small tear slid down his cheek and ran over his smiling face. When he had been fighting Father, he had come to the realization that because of the transmutation circle being activated, everyone was gone. That included Winry, and that thought alone was enough to tear him apart from the inside. When he had seen her sitting on that bench, he couldn't have imagined a more beautiful sight.

It took a while for Winry to come back to reality, though she would have preferred to stay like that forever. She had to keep her promise as well. She pulled away slightly and met his eyes, wiping her own with the back of her hand. She saw his single shining trail that the tear had left on Ed's cheek and her eyes widened.

"Ed," she began, thinking of how to phrase her thoughts without making him feel weak. This was a major breakthrough; Ed never cried.

He seemed to know what she was thinking about and wiped the tear away, the smile never leaving his features. "Sorry," he mumbled, a bit embarrassed, "I guess I'm just as much of a crybaby as you," he joked, receiving a small smack on the chest from Winry at the comment.

"Shut up," she laughed childishly, before making her way to the stairs.

"Where are you going?" he asked, and then inwardly cursed himself for being so stupid. They were in a basement after all, not exactly the most comfortable place to catch up.

"Well," she answered, turning to smile at him, "I do owe you and Al apple pie, don't I?" she questioned with a giggle, continuing to go up the stairs. Ed smiled and nodded, turning the light off and following her up.

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**So, what do you think so far? I know that as soon as I post this, the latest chapter of the manga will contradict me most likely, but I don't care! I will have my happy ending! Please Review!!!**


	2. A Father's Sacrifice

**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, believe me, if I did, I wouldn't torture my fans like Arakawa xD**

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The sweet smell of cinnamon filled the kitchen as Winry worked on the promised apple pie. As she peeled more apples, she began to muse about the name of that fateful day; The Promised Day. In reality, it was truly a terrifying event, but the name was most definitely ironic. After everything was said and done after all, the promises between the people she cared about were all fulfilled.

Setting down another peeled apple, she turned her head in the direction of the living room where Ed and Al were conversing. Granny Pinako had left the house to pick a few things up. She had said something about an occasion that needed to be celebrated. Winry figured that it meant she had gone out to get more food and maybe a few of her drinking buddies.

She sighed contently as she stood, preparing the apples for the pie and making sure the dough for the crust was okay. After mixing the ingredients and finishing the preparations, she put the pie into the oven and set a small nearby timer. She walked over to the doorway of the kitchen, leaning on the frame and observing the brothers.

Ed was facing in the other direction while he was speaking to Al, so he hadn't noticed. The younger Elric certainly had, though he pretended not to have. Instead, he lightly whispered to his brother to inform him.

"You know Winry is staring at you?" he told Ed casually, not wanting to let the girl know that he had tattled on her. Ed blinked a few times, but stopped himself from turning around.

"What do you mean?" he questioned in a low voice. Al snickered a bit in response before standing with the help of his cane. He then pretended to 'just have noticed' Winry.

"Hey Winry, when do you think the pie will be ready?" This caused her to snap her attention back to reality, and she smiled and laughed nervously, afraid that she had been caught gazing at the elder Elric.

"About forty-five minutes, I just put it in," she told him, earning a small frown. It didn't surprise her though, he was probably very hungry, and he had been waiting for this for a long time. "Do you want something in the mean time?"

Al smiled once more, shaking his head. "No, I want to have plenty of room for this," he told her with a laugh. Winry nodded in understanding. Their small talk was interrupted by the phone, which Winry moved to go answer. Al held up a hand politely to stop her though. "I'll get it," he told her, moving as quickly as he could with a cane. This left Ed and Winry alone for the second time, and as much as Ed cared about his brother, he cursed his timing.

"I wonder who it could be," Ed mused, just for the sake of making conversation. He had so many things to say, but that was the only poetry that could spew out of his mouth. He had never felt so moronic.

"I don't know," she replied, "maybe Granny." She rubbed the back of her neck before going over to the couch that Ed was sitting on and shyly took a seat next to him. He visibly tensed as she did this. Things may have worked out for the best, but he was still the same Ed as before. "Ed," she began, hesitantly putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, "is something the matter? I would think you would be overjoyed, I'm making food after all." She figured joking would help, so a small smile graced her lips.

Her kindness was enough to make a smile appear on his features as he turned to face her. "I'm fine," he assured her, "I just have a lot on my mind." He paused, thinking of how to phrase his next question. "Are you alright?" Once again, his inability to speak intelligently grated on his nerves.

Winry's brows furrowed. He thought something was wrong with her? Had she been acting out of the ordinary? "Yeah, why do you ask?" She couldn't figure out why he would turn the concern on her.

"Well," he answered, clenching his fists and staring at them to avoid eye contact with Winry, "I'm sure you felt the effects of the Promised Day too." He was debating on whether or not to tell her how he had stopped it from happening. Sure, he was alright now, but he wouldn't be there at that moment if it hadn't been for the people that cared about him.

Winry nodded, folding her hands in her lap. It had been terrifying. She had felt like someone had been sitting on her chest. There was a breaking sensation from deep within her heart and then there was nothing. The last thing she had thought about was Ed.

He couldn't leave her in the dark anymore. She deserved to know. "What you, and the rest of Amestris felt, was a nationwide transmutation circle. You souls," he paused, closing his eyes, "were literally sucked out of your bodies." A small gasp erupted from Winry, her eyes wide and now facing him. He continued, still not able to face her. "After it happened, Father, who was the one that had caused it all, was all powerful. Al, Sensei, and I tried to destroy him, but it was no use. He could transmute without even moving. The Colonel was blind, so he couldn't assist us." He took in a deep breath, deciding to leave Hoenhiem out for now, though he would have to mention him very soon. "Everything seemed useless, and then the bastard showed us the people we cared about the most, lying lifeless on the ground." His voice shook and his fists trembled.

Winry sat there quietly, not quite understanding why he was telling her this. Everything was alright now, why did he seem so distressed? Had something happened? Was his mission not complete yet?

Seeing that she didn't have any intentions on voicing any questions yet, he went on. "After seeing that, I lost control. I ran towards him and abandoned any sense that I had left." He paused once more, the memories opening old wounds. "The last thing I saw was a single piece of jagged rock, piercing though me. After that, I was face to face with the Truth."

Winry covered her mouth with her hand, her mind unable to accept what she was hearing. He had been killed? So how was he sitting here now? "I-I don't understand, how is that possible?" she asked, voicing her thoughts to him. Her voice shook and her heart was pounding.

"I asked it why it had just openly accepted Father's request. It wouldn't answer me, so, I told the Truth to send me back, so that I could defeat Father. I even asked him if he would help, since Father was an imposter; a fake Truth. He told me no, but at the last second, he agreed to let me go back, but only because a price had been paid. I asked him what, but he didn't answer. The last thing he told me was that if I could defeat father, Al and I could have our bodies back, and the Colonel would get his sight back since it had unjustly been taken; Equivalent exchange." For the first time since he had begun his explanation, he faced Winry. "When I woke up, my wound was gone," he paused, "and so was Hoenhiem."

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the first one, but I had to leave you on a cliffhanger, I'm sorry! I'm currently ill and haven't been to school for more than a week, so all I can do is sit in bed, so I might as well write more! Please review!!!**


	3. Respect and Closure

**Chapter 3 folks! Yes, I know some of are eager for more EdWin fluff, just be patient! Heck, I'm debating on making one of the later chapters a lemon…we'll just have to see!**

**Oh, and I don't own FMA, the cruel cow does.**

**~*~*~*~*~**

The silence dragged on, causing a painful ringing in Winry's ears. Seeing that he wasn't going to continue unless she pushed him to, which she didn't want to do if it was painful, she took his left hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. He still couldn't face her, but he placed his right hand over hers, for once warmth radiating off of it instead of cold steel.

Ed swallowed an emotional lump in his throat before he finally decided to continue. "Hoenhiem gave his life, along with countless others that were stored within him, to save me. The worst part is even after he did all of that, I'm still pissed at him," he told Winry in a harsh whisper. "Sure I'm grateful," he continued, "but once again, he abandoned me," he paused for a moment, "abandoned us." He lifted his hand from Winry's, lightly tugging his away from her grasp. He didn't want to, but he could feel his heart shutting out the people that he cared about again.

Winry frowned slightly, her gaze saddening. "Ed," she told him in a comforting voice, "he didn't abandon you. I think he wanted to do one last thing for you to make up for leaving all of those years ago. He didn't save your life just so he could leave you again." She didn't get a response from Ed, only a quiet, yet frustrated sigh.

"I know what you're saying," he conceded after more thick silence, "but it doesn't fix everything. He still left all of those years ago, and just like back then, he didn't even," his voice caught in his throat and he clenched his teeth to prevent his emotions from getting the best of him, "he didn't even say goodbye. I mean, I know he couldn't, but he could have the first time. All he did back then was look at Al and I, almost like he was angry. That's the last memory I had of him before meeting up with him again, so you can understand my resentment. But, damn it!" he slammed his fist into his knee, not noticing the small flinch from Winry. "He finally does something nice to bring back a shred of respect to his name, then, he goes and dies!" Ed's breathing was shallow now, his anger speeding his heart up.

Winry didn't quite know what to think of this. He had always been very adamant on how much he hated his father, but maybe it was just an act. Maybe he was trying to cover the pain of being left. She then realized the most important thing about Ed; He had abandonment issues. His father had left, then his mother had died, which she knew he didn't blame her for, but still.

Little did either of them know, Al had hung up the phone long ago and had been listening for a while now. He was standing against the wall, listening intently to his brother's words. They nearly brought him to tears, so he could imagine how Ed felt. Al let the tears fall though, welcoming any confirmation that he had his body back.

Ed buried his face in his hands before running his fingers through his bangs. "I don't understand how I feel right now," he told Winry honestly, with a lot more composure then he had shown a moment ago. "I want to hate him, but I can't. It's not easy like it was before."

"Ed," she began, her hands folded in her lap once more, "it takes a lot of energy to hate. However, it takes even more energy to love. I know it's hard to admit, but I know deep down that you loved your dad, because if you didn't, you wouldn't have to work so hard to hate him." She thought about her words and decided that she was on the right track when Ed's face softened. "Even through all those years, even if you hated him, it meant that you still cared. The opposite of love, isn't hate, its indifference."

Ed sat up fully, resting his hands on his knees and turning to face Winry. He surprised her when a small smile melted on to his face. "When the hell did you become so wise?" he asked her with a chuckle. "I think you've been spending too much time with Aunty." Winry laughed at this as well, shaking her head at the joke. "Thanks Winry," he told her quietly, "you know, for listening to my idiocy. It felt good to get it off of my chest."

Winry felt like she was on top of the world. She had taken a good chunk out of the emotional wall that Ed had been building for most of his life. It was something she had always wanted to do, but never thought she could.

Al took a deep, but silent breath before walking back into the room. Ed and Winry turned to face him when they heard his cane. "That was a hell of a phone call," Ed said jokingly, covering up for his emotional overload that he had been through. Al forced a smile.

"Yeah," he told them, "it was Aunt Pinako. She said that we should clean up the house, since she would be bringing a few more people than she thought." Truthfully, she told him that she would be bringing not only her drinking buddies, but Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Hawkeye, a strange man from Xing that said he knew Ed, which she recognized at the man that had called himself Greed. He had to assure her that he was only Ling now before she agreed. Not to mention a young girl with an automail left arm and a mask. The house would be quite full.

Ed grimaced at the thought of a bunch of people crowding him, but sighed, shrugging his frustration off. "Alright, when will they be here?" Ed asked his brother. Al thought about before answering.

"Well, about an hour," he told them, subtracting the time that he had been eavesdropping. "The house is pretty clean though, maybe some light sweeping and dusting."

Winry nodded in agreement, having been lost in her thoughts while Al had been talking. She jumped up at the slight ring that came from the kitchen, signaling that the pie was finally ready. Al's face lit up as Winry made her way into the kitchen to take it out, then sniffed the heavy, sweet aroma.

"Time to eat you two!" she called to them happily. Al went as quickly as he could with his cane and took a seat at the kitchen table. He was practically drooling in anticipation. Ed chuckled, thinking back to when he had literally been eating for two before Al got his body back.

Winry cut a slice for each of them, making sure Al got a large portion, as well as Ed since she knew that he would throw a fit if anyone got more than him. She cut a slice of her own, and then distributed them to the brothers and herself.

Al was the first to take a bite, followed swiftly by Ed. Simultaneously, their eyes widened and they paused in mid chew. Afraid that she had messed up somehow, she was about to apologize, but Ed stopped her.

"Winry," he told her after swallowing the bite he had taken, "this is the best apple pie I've ever tasted." He smiled before digging into the pie with reckless abandon. Winry's eyes lit up as she looked to Alphonse, hoping for a similar response. He couldn't respond however, he was far to busy shoving his face in a very Ed-like manner. She took it as a good thing and began to eat her slice as well, her heart swelling with pride.

After they were done with their meal, Winry took the, now empty, pie tin to the sink to be washed, along with their plates and forks. She began to wash them, a smile set firmly on her face.

Al sat back in his chair, holding his stomach and smiling. "Ah, he said happily, "it feels good to be full!" Ed laughed under his breath, rolling his eyes jokingly at his brother before going to where Winry was standing at the sink. He then picked up a drying rag and held his hand out to Winry, expecting a dish.

She was a bit taken back at his willingness to help, but still smiled none the less, handing him the dish and softly thanking him for his assistance. There was a comfortable silence in the kitchen, with nothing but the running water of the sink to break it.

Once the dishes were done, Winry and Ed dried their hands off. Winry looked at the clock then and bit her lip. The meal and the dishes had taken about forty-five minutes, so they only had about fifteen to get the house in order.

"Ed," she said suddenly, turning on her heel to face him, "you take care of dusting, I'll sweep. Al, you wipe down the kitchen table and the coffee table in the living room." Al nodded, going to do as he was told. Ed heaved a dramatic sigh however. He hated dusting, it was so boring.

Winry only had to give him one look to get him to stop complaining and get the dust rag. He began to ask himself when he had become so whipped. Winry shuffled around the kitchen, sweeping up any stray dirt she could find into a pile in the center of the floor before getting a dustpan and sweeping the pile into it and emptying it into the garbage can. She then moved on to the living room, doing the same.

Al was done with his tasks rather quickly, which Winry had intended on. He had just gotten his body back a while ago, and was still recovering. She didn't want to overwork him.

Ed moved around random areas of the house, running the dust rag over any surface that looked like it needed it. He then came into the living room and gazed at the book shelf. When he had been younger, he hadn't been able to get to the ones on the top shelf. He reached her arm up curiously and smiled broadly as he found himself able to reach not only the top shelf, but the actual top of the entire thing. A new confidence in his veins, he dusted like had had never dusted before.

They all completed the monotonous tasks that needed attended to before sitting on the couch, casually conversing. There was a knock on the door, causing the trio to look up. Winry stood, walking over to the door and answering it. Her eyes widened slightly as she was face to face with none other than Ling Yao. Ranfan peeked her head around shyly a moment later.

Not wanting to be rude, she stepped to the side, inviting them in graciously. Ling thanked her before walking in, Ranfan bowing slightly before following. Ling didn't waste any time on going into the living room.

Ed saw him and arched a brow, still not knowing if this was Greed or Ling. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," Ed mused with a smirk. Depending on the reaction, he would be able to tell who it was.

"Now Ed, is that any way to treat you best friend?" Ling asked with fake hurt in his voice. Ed rolled his eyes at his dramatic response.

"Well, at least you're Ling," Ed mumbled, giving a slight nod to Ranfan that would serve as a hello. "I have to tell ya, the whole double personality thing was really a pain in the ass."

Ling smiled, despite Ed's sour comments. "You know, you really should be nicer Ed, I am the next emperor of Xing after all," he gloated. Ed's eyes widened slightly. This was news to him, since he figured if Greed was gone, so was Ling's chance at immortality and becoming emperor. "I see you're surprised," Ling continued, "Well, let's do this, I'll forget all of your cruel comments over the time we've known each other for the simple price of a meal and place to sleep tonight." A large grin spread across Ling's features.

Ed scowled, picking up a book that rested on the coffee table and throwing it, hitting it square in Ling's face, causing him to fall backward. "No way in hell, squinty eyes," Ed told him, folding his arms and smirking at his good aim. Winry's jaw dropped, her brows furrowing.

"Edward!" she scolded, giving him a sharp glance before kneeling down to see the damage. Thanks to Ed, Ling now had a decent sized lump on his head. "I'll get some ice for that," she told him, helping him up. Ranfan had to keep her composure and remember that she was in someone else's home, desperately wanting to punish Ed for such disrespect.

Ling shrugged it off however, though accepting Winry's offer for ice. She went over to get it, Ling holding his forehead. "I see your temper is as bad as ever," Ling said with a laugh. Al also chuckled, but immediately stopped after a death glare from his older brother. It was only the first of the guests, and it already promised to be entertaining.


	4. A Full House

**Holy crud, another update! No way! Well, this is what happens when you confined to a bed with nothing but your laptop and your own thoughts for two weeks…I should do this more often…**

**Anywho, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, wish I did…**

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Time had passed, and just as Pinako had said, the house was filled with guests. Winry couldn't make food and snacks quickly enough. She was thankful to be alone in the kitchen though, since everywhere else in the house seemed to be over crowded. She hadn't imagined that her Granny would invite so many people, some Winry didn't even recognize, but assumed that they were her Grandma's friends.

When she had finally finished making more food for the guests, she brought them out to the living room and set them on the table before politely pushing through the large crowd that migrated to the snacks. When she was back in the kitchen, she was surprised to find Ed there, bumping his head against the fridge repetitively. She kept herself from laughing and kept her composure as she walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "For the last time," he began angrily, not knowing it was Winry, "I'm not answering any more questions!" Winry was a bit taken back, but a laugh did manage to escape her lips this time, causing Ed to turn his gaze at her, a look of surprise and slight apology in his eyes. "Sorry Win," he said quietly, using her nickname that only he used, "I thought you were another vulture."

Winry shrugged, understanding his frustration. She had to imagine it being ten times worse for Ed, since he was one of the 'Heroes of Amestris'. "Don't worry about it," she assured him, "but I wouldn't keep slamming your head against the fridge, you'll crack your skull." She chuckled playfully before going to start cleaning up the mess she had made with all of her cooking. Ed turned on his heel before walking over to her and helping with the clean up.

Seeing as this was the third time that he had been unusually helpful, she began to get suspicious. Apart from dusting, she hadn't heard a single complaint from him. "Alright," she started, placing a hand on her hip and facing him, "who are you and what have you done with the real Ed?"

Ed stopped cleaning up and gave her an inquisitive look. "What are you talking about, Winry?" he asked dumbly, not getting the point. Winry smiled and shook her head.

"You've never been this helpful," she told him honestly, though the smile was still on her face, "do you have a fever or something?" Ed rolled his eyes at her observation.

"No, I don't," he replied, almost in an offended tone, "I just figure you have enough work on your hands." With that, he continued to clean up after giving her a look that screamed 'so there!' Winry sighed, ignoring his attitude and just enjoying his company.

There were murmurs around the house about the young mechanic and the Fullmetal Alchemist disappearing from the party to have some 'alone time.' Most of these were from Ling, who enjoyed getting under Ed's skin in any way he could. He was being crowded by guests as well, seeing as he had been a part of the effort in defeating Father. He liked the attention though, and used it to his advantage, as expected of a future emperor. Fortunately for Ed _and _Ling, the rumors hadn't circulated to the kitchen yet.

When they had finished washing dishes and wiping the counter off, the two teens decided to sit at the table, both of them with their heads down from exhaustion. The people still filled the house, so much so that Winry suspected that all of Risembool had shown up.

Ed shifted his legs a bit, finding it impossible to relax. When he moved, he felt something poke him, and winced slightly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Winry's earrings. He stared at them as they rested in his right hand and he began to remember the day that she had given them to him to hold on to. A day when he felt completely helpless and was forced to trust Winry's safety to Scar. He dismissed his thoughts though and lightly tapped the table to get Winry to look up. When she did, he was smiling softly and holding out his hand with the jewelry.

Winry's eyes fell to his hand, seeing her earrings glistening in the light of the kitchen. She gasped, a smile falling on to her face as she reached over and took them. "Thank you, Ed," she told him as she began to put them back in. She had waited so long to have them again.

"No problem," he replied, thinking back to when he had first given them to her when they were younger. She had forgotten about her rage towards him for breaking his automail and accepted them, even piercing her ears enough to fit them all at once. He had called her stupid for doing so back then, but now that he thought about it, it had been really sweet of her. He closed his eyes, shaking his head violently to get rid of those thoughts. His face betrayed him though as his cheeks tinted red. Winry just happened to glance at him after putting the last earring in, and a blush to match his spread across her face.

"So, how are your arm and leg?" Winry asked him to make everything a little less awkward. Thankfully it worked, Ed's face returning to its normal color.

"Well, they're a little sore, but nothing major. And they look a little different from the others, but that can be fixed with some exercise and physical therapy." He had been receiving treatment in the hospital for a week or so for them. The doctors had insisted that he stay there longer, but he and Al were both eager to get home.

Winry nodded in understanding before getting up from her chair. She needed some air, not only because the house was so crowded, but if she stayed in the same room as Ed for any longer, she would only make a fool of herself. She had admitted to herself a while ago that she had fallen in love with him, but she didn't know how he felt, and she was afraid to find out.

Ed gave her a questioning look as she stood and made her way over to the front door, still having to get around quite a few people. "What the hell?" he mumbled. They had been talking, she asked a question, he answered, and then she gets up and leaves? He looked out the kitchen widow and saw that it was drizzling outside, which only added to his concern. He stood up then, going to follow her. He ignored the various people trying to ask him questions and made a break for the front door. He was grateful when he had reached the porch, the townspeople sealed in the house with the closing of the front door.

Ed sighed, beginning to walk to find Winry but stopped when he turned and saw her sitting on the small bench swing, using her toes to push herself back and forth. He approached her, waiting for her to stop swinging so he could sit. She glanced up at him briefly before doing just that.

"Why did you just up and leave?" he asked her calmly as he took a seat. He didn't _think_ he had done anything wrong, but he usually didn't when it came to petty arguments between him and Winry. This time they had just been talking though, there weren't even any wrenches involved.

Winry laughed half-heartedly, shrugging in response to his question. She found it ironic that he had worded it like that, since he was usually the one to just 'up and leave'. She was afraid that even though they now had their bodies back, they wouldn't want to stay in one place. They'd leave again, just for the sake of leaving, especially since Ed didn't need her to fix his automail anymore. It had been a fear that had eaten away at her for months.

"Winry, something's wrong, so don't try to hide it," Ed pressed, curious of what could possibly be bugging her besides the numerous people crowding her living room. "C'mon, I spilled my guts to you, just tell me." Ed had never been the sensitive type.

Winry kept her gaze down, a sad smile resting on her features. "Ed," she began, "what do you plan on doing now? I mean, are you still going to be in the military?" This had been another fear; He would stay but be called away as a human weapon soon. Ed's eyes softened as he looked at her, starting to know what she was getting at.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully, turning his gaze up at the clouded sky. "Staying in the military would give me the privilege of getting more research, and I do want to learn more about bio-alchemy." He had decided that after the incident with Nina Tucker. He wanted to be able to help any people that ended up in her situation thanks to a madman.

"Oh," was Winry's only reply as she folded her arms. The rain had cooled things off, and now it was to a point that is she stayed out there she risked catching a cold. Ed noticed her shiver a bit and sighed.

"Winry, we're not going to have to worry about that if we freeze to death, let's go inside," he suggested, standing and offering his hand to her. She gave him a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, and took his hand and stood up. Ed opened the front door for them and they both walked into the house. The guests didn't show much sign of leaving and a good majority of them had drank themselves silly and were dancing like idiots, bottles in hand.

Ed's nerves were wearing thin, and he knew that nobody else would tell them to leave. So, he made his way through the crowd, Winry staying by the front door. Once he had reached the coffee table, he stood atop it, bringing his fingers to his mouth and making a nearly ear piercing whistle echo through the room. This had been enough to shut them all up.

"Listen up," he said loud enough for anyone within a twenty foot radius to hear, "unless this is your house, you're part of the military, or you're from Xing, you need to get out of here! Party's over, now go home and sober up!" There was a series of mumbles and grumbles from the crowd, but they did disperse, mainly from fear of Ed's wrath. Winry waved goodbye to them as they left, eternally grateful to Ed for doing what he had.

Seeing the seemingly infinite number of people leave calmed his nerves and he jumped off of the coffee table and took a seat on the couch. The only people left in the house now were Mustang, Hawkeye, Ling, Ranfan, Al, Winry, Pinako, and himself. Hell, eight was better that fifty.

"Good work, Fullmetal," Roy told him, drink in hand, "you sure know how to clear a room." Roy wasn't even buzzed, since he knew better than to get drunk in public.

"Shut up, Mustang," Ed retorted, leaning his head back, his eyes closing. "I did what I had to." He heaved a sigh, glad for the quiet of the house.

Ling laughed from where he was sitting cross-legged on the floor. "I guess you did," he conceded, "now about that meal and place to stay…"

"I'm not too tired to kick your ass, squinty eyes," he warned Ling, pointing in his direction, though not inclining his head. Ling snickered, knowing full well that what Ed said was true; He was never too tired for that.

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**Wow, this chapter lasted longer than I thought…I really didn't want to end it there, but I didn't want it to be ridiculously long. Next chapter will be EdxWinry fluff to the max! Please review!**


	5. Inner Issues

**I know you're all eager to see the EdxWinry in this chapter, so I'm going to skip the witty banter and go right to the disclaimer…**

**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, Arakawa does…**

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Roy and Riza left the Rockbell home after a while, leaving only Ling and Ranfan as guests, much to Ed's dismay. Needless to say, Ed isn't one to keep his complaints to himself.

"Why are you still here?" he whined, glaring at Ling from the corner of his eye. Ling had been boasting to Al about Xing, and how he was going to improve the country, so much so that Al actually began to consider visiting sometime. Their conversation had been interrupted by Ed.

"I'm just telling Alphonse what a great country Xing is," Ling answered innocently, "there's no law against that, is there?" Winry walked into the room with tea for all of them, minus Granny Pinako who had gone to sleep. Setting it down on the coffee table, she handed a cup to Ed, who took it gratefully. Ling, Ranfan, and Al took their own cups, and then Winry took one for herself.

"They're not causing any trouble Ed," Winry assured him as she sat next to the annoyed alchemist, "besides, they do need a place to stay tonight." Ling's smile grew wide, expressing his gratitude to Winry.

"You mean we can stay?" he asked hopefully, earning a disgruntled growl from Ed. Winry nodded once, assuring them that it wasn't a big deal and they were welcome any time.

"Like hell," Ed protested, taking a sip of his tea, "they can get a hotel room; they should have money, right?" He assumed that since he was royalty, he just liked to save the money and mooch.

He was ignored however, which only succeeded in pissing him off even further. Ling announced that he was growing a bit tired and requested that Winry show him the room they would be staying in. Winry nodded, leading Ling and Ranfan to the guest room that normally held patients.

Whilst Winry got them settled, Ed was busy brooding. Sighing, Al went to go sit by his brother, being cautious on how he worded things. "Brother," he began hesitantly, "I know that you and Ling have never been best friends, but you seem especially angry with him tonight. Is there something the matter?"

Ed set his tea down on the table rather roughly, a bit spilling out over the edges. Al took it as a sign that he should shut up, but Ed surprised him by answering. "I don't know," he mumbled, "there's just something about him that's shifty. Now that he's gonna be the emperor, he thinks he can get whatever he wants; he's a spoiled brat." Ed folded his arms in a very child like manner, contradicting his insult.

Al blinked a few times before realizing what this was really about, nearly causing him to break out in laughter. "Brother," he said after regaining his composure, "I don't think it's the fact that Ling is staying here that's bothering you. I think it's the fact that he's staying in the same house as Winry." Ed's head snapped up, his eyes glaring daggers at Al and his face turning red.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked defensively. "Why should I care what she does, or where they stay?" He gave one last 'hmph' for good measure. Al chuckled, earning a threatening growl from Ed. "I'm not jealous, damn it!" he yelled, flustered by the whole situation. He stood up, making his way to the basement. At least it was a quiet place to think.

Al burst out into laughter after he was sure his brother was out of ear shot. Ed was acting ridiculous, he just couldn't admit it. Winry walked back into the room after Ed's little outburst, asking Al what all of the yelling was about.

"Oh, Brother's just in one of his moods," Al replied, not telling her that it was because he thought Ling was trying to get her. "I think it would help if you talked to him."

Winry arched a brow, wondering what she could say to make him feel better about whatever it was that was making him angry. The problem seemed to be Ling, but she didn't see why, Ling was a nice person. A bit obnoxious at times, but nice all the same. Nevertheless, she shrugged, asking where Ed was. Al told her that he had stormed off into the basement. Winry rolled her eyes before going to find him.

When she was halfway down the stairs, she saw Ed, ironically enough, sitting on the operating table that he had been on during his very own automail surgery. His feet hung loosely off of it, though they almost touched the ground now. His hands were folded and he was hunched over, staring at them as if there was something infinitely fascinating about them. His bangs framed his face, though his eyes still seemed to shine even without the light hitting them. Winry admired their golden color before remembering why she had come down there in the first place. So, she walked the rest of the way down, her feet hitting the chilly basement floor since she had taken her shoes off.

"Ed," she called to him softly, not wanting to upset him further, "what's wrong? Are you upset at Ling about something?" She didn't know exactly who Ed was mad at, but she figured she should go with the one he wanted to throw out first.

He didn't answer, just weakly shook his head. He didn't even know why he was mad, and it just made him angrier as he tried to figure it out. Winry didn't like that answer though, so she approached him, taking a seat next to him on the operating table, having to jump a bit to do so.

"Then what is it?" she asked, lightly touching his arm in an attempt to make him feel like he could trust her with another emotional problem. After he had revealed his feelings toward his father, Winry didn't think there was anything that he wouldn't feel comfortable talking about.

There was a long silence as Ed thought of how to phrase his inner problem. He realized that he did have one, but it wasn't with Ling. It was with himself, well, himself and Winry.

"Winry, you do too much," he said quietly, not daring to look up. Before she had a chance to question the odd declaration, he continued. "You never ask for anything in return and you're always helping people. That's a great quality to have, but you can't let people walk all over you."

"Ed, Ling isn't trying to walk all over me, he-," Winry started to interject, but Ed cut her off.

"I'm not talking about Ling," he said suddenly before pausing, gathering his thoughts, "I'm talking about me." Winry's face became puzzled, her brows furrowing and her head tilting to the side.

"What are you talking about, Ed?" she asked him. "You don't walk all over me either." She took her hand off of his shoulder, setting it on her lap, only to be met by one of his hands. She felt her heart flutter and her face heat up. She kept her eyes on him, trying to predict his actions.

"You've done so much for me, Winry. There's no way for me to repay you, even if I tried." His head inclined slightly so he could see her face out of the corner of his eye. "Every time my automail got busted, I came back here, just expecting you to have the time and energy to fix it. You'd have to pull all nighters because of my ridiculous time spans that I allowed myself to be in one place." He gently squeezed her hand, glad to see that she hadn't pulled away from him yet.

"Ed," she assured him with a comforting voice, "when ever we pulled a rush job, we always charged extra, and you know that. C'mon, you're our cash cow." She smiled, trying to lighten his mood. "I know you're grateful for what Granny and I did for you, you don't have to show it."

Ed scoffed under his breath, shaking his head. "Not just the time you spent Winry," he retorted, "the time lost. Time that I can't ever get back, time that you spent waiting for Al and I to come home. Time that you spent worrying." He sat upright slowly, turning to face her completely. "Time that I took advantage of. Every time I needed my arm repaired, I was always in a hurry. Hell, today is the longest I've spent with you since before I became a state alchemist."

Winry's heart was beating so quickly, she thought it would leap out of her chest any second. His tone was sincere, he was holding her hand; this had to be a dream. "Ed, you shouldn't feel bad for that. You had to be in a hurry, you had to get your bodies back. And yes, I worried, but that's only natural. Besides, it's not like it turned my life upside down every time you left; I always knew you'd be back. We made a promise after all." He had made two promises to her; to make her cry tears of joy and to return alive.

Ed's gaze was a mixture of confusion and guilt. She had faith in him the entire time. She had never lost hope. "Winry," he murmured barely above a whisper, keeping his hand on hers, "I don't want to leave you behind anymore." He was sick of having to keep her waiting, keep her worried sick.

Winry's eyes widened slightly at the statement. She could feel her face flush an even deeper red, her stomach doing summersaults. She smiled softly at him, their eyes locking. "Well, that's simple enough, alchemy freak," she teased softly with a small laugh, "just don't."

He could feel the blush sneaking up on him for the hundredth time that day. He nodded simply, visibly relaxing. Then, like a magnetic pull had been activated, his face began to inch towards hers, his eyes half lidded.

Seeing him lean in, she did the same, her eyes slowly closing. They were timid, each faltering a few times, but only for a fraction of a second. They were so close now that they could feel each others breathing on their faces.

Ed was the one to push forward and close the space between them, his lips meeting hers in a warm, soft, and tender kiss. Winry returned the kiss, overcome by emotion and happiness.

Ed moved his free hand that wasn't holding Winry's hand moved to gently cup the side of her face. This was his first kiss, as well as hers, so both were inexperienced in the matter. Ed was letting his heart and his instincts lead him through this, so after a moment of kissing, his tongue moved softly against her bottom lip, asking for entrance. Winry parted her lips slightly, allowing his tongue to slip though, meeting hers in an instant, and tangling together.

A small, innocent moan escaped Winry's throat, her hand moving to Ed's upper chest. She leaned in closer, gripping his shirt as if afraid that he would vanish. The kiss lasted only minutes, but it felt like centuries. The two pulled apart slowly for air. They each opened their eyes and gazed at each other, both breathless. Their faces were still very much close, Ed's hand still lightly on Winry's face, his other holding her hand.

"Ed," Winry said, still out of breath, though it was impossible for her to form a full, coherent sentence. Her head was spinning, her eyes searching for any sign of regret in his eyes.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," he whispered softly, running his thumb across her cheek. A smile spread across Winry's face as he spoke.

"How long _you've _waited?" she asked jokingly, though her tone was as soft and tender as his. Laughing softly, she leaned in, kissing him once more, this time with a bit more confidence.

They stayed there even after the second kiss, holding each other. They sat on the operating table that Winry had used to make him whole all of those years ago, and the one that they had completed each other on moments ago.

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**-sniff- Oh, the fluff! You know you love it! Oh, and just to make it clear, no, they didn't 'do it'…not yet anyway…anywho, I hope you enjoyed! There's more to come! Please review!**


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